Dr. Robert E. Weems, Jr.
Willard W. Garvey Distinguished Professor of Business History
Dr. Robert E. Weems, Jr., is the Willard W. Garvey Distinguished Professor of Business History. Weems came to Wichita State in 2011 from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has become widely known as a leading expert in African American business history. In addition to producing numerous publications, including two books, Weems coordinated the Wichita African American Business History Project; was the principal investigator of the Wichita Nonwhite Business Owners Tell Their Stories project, served as a historical consultant and appeared in the PBS documentary "Boss: The Black Experience in Business," and was a keynote speaker for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s June 2021 virtual program “Racism and the Economy: Focus on Entrepreneurship.”